Heretofore, in utilizing a mold assembly upon an injection plastic molding machine having opposed fixed and movable platens on which the mold assembly is mounted and secured, considerable time and effort has been required for removing the mold assembly and providing a replacement therefore for continued operation of the molding machine.
Heretofore, in the replacement of one mold assembly for another, a number of workers are required and considerable time employed in making the removal of a mold assembly from a plastic molding machine using a suitable crane and thereafter locating centering, mounting and securing to the platens of the molding machine a replacement mold for continued operation.
Considerable time is involved in mounting the replacement mold assembly upon the molding machine due to the difficulty of correctly and properly centering and locating the respective mount plates of the mold assembly upon the corresponding fixed and movable platens of the molding machine to which the respective mounting plates must be secured. In the area of utilizing mold assemblies and the replacement thereof upon molding machines, the difficulty in making a replacement and reassembly thereof is involved due to the heavy weight of said mold assemblies in the range of 500 to 700 tons, for example.
Heretofore, in removing a mold assembly from the molding machine after it has been disconnected therefrom, it must be lifted from the machine and transported to a remote area and thereafter a replacement mold assembly lifted, brought back to the molding machine in registry with its centerlines and accurately reassembled onto the respective fixed movable platens of the molding machine and effectively secured thereto.
Heretofore, locating rings have been employed and other alignment mechanism needed for reapplying the replacement mold assembly to the molding machine.